Enforce existing laws to deter self-styled men of God - Bishop Ogyiri Asare

The General Overseer of Zion Praise Chapel International, Bishop Bernard Ogyiri Asare has asked government and Parliament to ensure the existing laws governing this country are enforced instead of enacting a new law to regulate Churches to clamp down self-styled men of God.

He said instead of enacting a new law to regulate the churches, government must empower the religious organization such as Christian Council and Ghana Charismatic Bishops Conference to monitor the activities of self-styled men of God who take advantage of members' predicaments to defraud them.

Bishop Bernard Ogyiri Asare made the call in an interview with ATINKA TV, monitored by Daniel Kaku, after making a donation of assorted foodstuff and other items worth 25,000 Ghana Cedis to the Social Integrated Centre at Effia-Kwesimintsim Municipal Assembly (EKMA) in the Western Region to mark his birthday celebration.

The Parliament of Ghana last two weeks Wednesday considered enacting a new law to regulate the activities of men of God and their churches.

The move has drawn many reactions from the public and other religious organizations speaking against it and also calling on the government to enforce the existing laws because all the things that Ghanaians are complaining about some men of God are relative to the laws of the country.

Ghana Charismatic Bishops Conference has also issued a statement against the attempt by Parliament to bring a new law to regulate against churches believed to bring a new law to legislate against churches believed to be defrauding its flock under the guise of faith.

The General Overseer of Zion Praise Chapel International, Bishop Bernard Ogyiri Asare who pointed problems in the attempt to regulate churches expressed difficulties in achieving the purpose.



He made the comments when he made a donation to the Social Integrated Centre at Effia Kwesimintsim Municipal Assembly (EKMA) to be used to cater for the children at the shed.

The items include bags of rice, sugar, cartons of milk, milo, biscuits, cooking oil, soft drinks and mattresses.

The rest were toilet rolls, diapers, bottled water crates of eggs and books written by Bishop Bernard Ogyiri Asare worth 25,000 Ghana Cedis.

Bishop Bernard Ogyiri Asare after presenting the items in an interview called on the executive and legislators to enforce the existing laws to regulate churches instead of enacting a new law.

The Municipal Chief Executive of Effia-Kwesimintsim, Mr. Kojo Acquah who received the items on behalf of the center, thanked the Bishop for the kind gesture and appealed to other bodies to emulate Zion Praise Chapel International.

The Effia-Kwesimintsim Municipal Director of Social Welfare, Mrs. Florence Oeusua Opare also thanked the Bishop and the Church and highlighted on some of the challenges the center is faced with.